


Love in the Sewer

by reddiegays



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Affectionate Insults, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Everybody Lives, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Soft Eddie Kaspbrak, Soft Richie Tozier, eddie is Relieved, richie takes the claw to save everyone and tells eddie he loves him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23465782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddiegays/pseuds/reddiegays
Summary: Richie gets stabbed by Pennywise instead of Eddie AU
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak
Comments: 4
Kudos: 137





	Love in the Sewer

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted to @reddiegays over on tumblr

It was like everything was moving in slow motion. Richie had pulled Eddie out of danger, not quick enough to avoid the incoming clown claw himself; the razor sharp appendage tore through his skin and pierced his side, leaving him bleeding and in searing pain. He staggered to his feet, following Eddie into one of the caves before collapsing against the cavern’s wall.

He must have passed out because the next thing he knew, the other Losers were huddled around them, attempting to stop the substantial amount of blood pouring from his wound. Eddie had ripped his hoodie off and was applying pressure as he hurriedly explained his new plan to the others, something about making Pennywise small. Richie wasn’t really listening, he was in too much pain, flitting in and out of consciousness. He felt something slapping his face and he blinked his eyes open; it was just he and Eddie now.

“Hey, Rich, stay with me, yeah?” Eddie was saying, trying to keep him awake, trying to get him talking, trying not to panic. He forced a smile, “I’m getting real fucking sick of patching you guys up.”

Richie wheezed out a laugh, choking on his breath, “not sure it’s gonna work this time.”

“Shut up, you’ve done worse to yourself,” Eddie tried to be positive but he was terrified. He didn’t want to think about a world without Richie Tozier. It was a world he definitely did not want to inhabit, “remember when you fell out of that tree and, and you thought your legs would need to be amputated?”

Richie didn’t say anything and it was clear he was struggling to stay conscious. He listened to Eddie, holding on for the wired little hypochondriac, in his element when it came to healthcare and injuries. The short asthmatic boy from his childhood, the boy he’d loved for years. This might be his only chance. He weakly raised his hand and covered Eddie’s blood-soaked ones currently pressing into his side.

“Eds, Eddie…I gotta tell you something…”

“Shut up, okay? You can tell me later,” Eddie replied desperately, refusing to look at his friend, “we’re gonna get you out of here. And you can take whatever crack at my mom that you want, okay?”

Eddie could hear the other Losers shouting somewhere behind him but he didn’t want to leave Richie, not in this state. The injured trashmouth coughed, his next words taking enormous effort, “I…I don’t wanna die and-”

"You’re not going to die, asshole,” he finally looked at Richie, his heart sinking as he noticed how pale and weak he looked, a far cry from his usual self. He was smiling, trying to reassure Eddie but the shorter man felt anything but. He swallowed, holding Richie’s hand tightly, “I won’t fucking let you.”

Richie was laughing again, his words becoming fainter with every rasping breath he took, “Eds…Eddie…”

The Losers needed Eddie. Richie needed Eddie. He was going to kill the clown. He was going to save Richie. He leaned over and pressed his forehead to Richie’s.

“Hold on, Rich. I’m gonna get you out of here, buddy.”

It took all of Richie’s strength for him to nod, whispering a quiet “I love you,” before everything went dark.

* * *

When Richie first opened his eyes, three weeks after the Pennywise incident he would later learn, he didn’t quite know where he was. He slowly remembered the clown, his friends, the stabbing, the pain. It soon occurred to him he was in Hospital, still in Derry. Eddie was there, unashamedly bursting into tears as soon as he spotted Richie was awake. He told Richie he'd stayed by his bedside the whole time, wanting to be there for him when he woke up; the comedian had never felt so touched.

“I thought I was clown food back there,” he said once he’d gotten his strength back, having had copious amounts of water and been softly berated by his childhood friend for offering himself up as a sacrifice so willingly. Richie didn’t care, he’d do it all over again if it meant his friends survived. Eddie was sitting in the chair next to his bed, watching him shift into a more comfortable position, a look of concern on his face, “I guess I owe you one. For getting me out of there.”

Eddie didn’t respond. He just sat there, his arms folded. Eventually, when he did speak, he asked a question that had been bothering him the whole time Richie was unconscious, "did you mean what you said in the sewer?”

Richie debated feigning ignorance, claiming loss of blood for what he might have said, but he knew full well what Eddie was referring to. He, too, had been thinking about it and wondered which of them would be brave enough to make the first move. Richie wasn’t about to lie. It had been easy to admit in the end, after so long. Whether Eddie reciprocated or not, he was relieved to get it off his chest.

“Yeah. I meant it.”

Eddie breathed out in relief, unable to keep himself from smiling, “thank fuck. I thought you were delirious or something.”

“What the fuck?” Richie replied, dumbstruck. Surely, he was dreaming. Still unconscious, bleeding out in the Derry sewer. Or he'd died and his version of heaven was lying in a Hospital bed whilst the love of his life confessed he reciprocated his feelings. Weird choice but he'd take it. Eddie grasped his hand and kissed his knuckles gently.

“I love you, too, you dumb fucking idiot. I’ve always loved you,” Richie’s eyes filled with tears and as soon as he spotted the lack of a wedding ring on Eddie’s finger, there was no stopping the waterworks. He wiped his eyes behind his glasses and Eddie stood, gently hugging him, “don’t do this to me again, Richie. I can’t live without you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Spaghetti,” Richie grinned, sniffling happily as he clutched Eddie’s shirt and pulled him closer; he felt his _boyfriend_ sigh fondly, realising this was his life now, “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Rich,” Eddie kissed the top of his head, “now get better so we can get the fuck out of Derry and never come back.”

Richie smiled adoringly, looking up through watery eyes at the most beautiful man he'd ever seen, "we?”

“Yeah,” Eddie smiled in return, holding his hand, quite sure he’d never been so happy in his life, “we.”


End file.
